diane e-mails, you're right. you should never be able to buy a house without at least putting one third down, or we'll be back to 2008 and my house will be down by one third again. well, i don't think it has to be one third down, diane, but i do think it should be substantial enough that the borrower has a clear stake and the lender has a clear incentive to find that borrower worth the risk. mary b., via aol, i'm really disappointed in your neil, putting every person hurt in the mess in the same box. that's the same as saying those who are losing their health care are at fault. don't throw other victims under the bus because you're perpetrating those who did this to us. losing your mortgage for whatever reason is different than losing your health care coverage for no reason. this isn't about being heartless. this is about the government risking once again, looking clueless, and with our cash. it's about having standards and treating home ownership as a goal, not a birth right. all i know is weak standards created